Stand by Dave's Family After His Passing

Beloved Friend, Brother in Arms, and Warrior of the Soul

For twenty years, Dave Walters was more than a friend—he was my brother. Through the chaos of youth, into war, and back again—he became family.

Dave and I deployed together to Iraq. Over there, you see the very best and worst of each other, and Dave was the kind of guy who held people together when everything else was falling apart. He had your back—not just in firefights, but in the quiet moments afterward when the dust settled and the silence hit hard. His strength wasn’t just on the battlefield—it was in his loyalty, his humor, and the quiet way he made others feel less alone.

But some battles are fought on the inside, and they're the hardest of all. Dave lost that fight. And while our hearts are broken, I want us to remember who he truly was—not the weight he couldn’t carry anymore, but the light he brought to those around him.

He was a man of deep courage, fierce love, and a generosity of spirit that few could match. If you knew Dave, you knew his laugh, his stubbornness, his wild stories, and his unwavering willingness to drop everything for someone in need.

I wish more than anything I could have helped him carry the load he bore. I wish we could have talked one more time, shared one more drink, or laughed over one more ridiculous memory from downrange. But most of all, I wish he knew how much he mattered—how deeply he was loved and always will be.

Rest easy now, brother. Your war is over. We’ll take it from here.

Until Valhalla.